Nick Foles leaves the field after losing to New Orleans on Sunday in what could be his final game in Philadephia. Next stop: Who knows?(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) (Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images)

Ten thoughts on the NFL playoff weekend:

1. The Dolphins should go after Nick Foles if he becomes an option. Seriously study the idea. Explore it. This isn’t an out-and-out call for action, considering the unknowns and hurdles here. And, yes, it’s not exactly in line with their build-with-patience motif. But you alter some ideas as the events change, and the one that keeps changing is Foles has shown everyone he can play at the highest level.

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Foles, 29, also can play another decade in today’s protect-the-quarterback game. So he would be a a better answer than waiting, and hoping, on a draft choice to materialize. You can then draft and build around him. And you’ll probably have your draft picks rather than possibly having to trade some to be in position to draft a quarterback.

OK, there are issues. First, it remains to be seen if Philadelphia will invest fully in Carson Wentz considering his knee (healed) and back (more mysterious) issues the past two years. Wentz is younger and has been anointed the Eagles’ franchise quarterback. But … the injuries suggest another option would be to keep Foles. All he’s done is win a Super Bowl and have the Eagles tracking toward another against a very good New Orleans team when a well-thrown pass went through Alshon Jeffrey’s hands and was intercepted.

Another issue: The contract situation. Philadelphia must exercise a $20 million option on Foles a week after the Super Bowl if they plan to keep him – or trade him. Foles can reject that option with a $2 million buyout and become a free agent. Maybe the Eagles simply release Foles rather than go through those gymnastics, unless they’ve worked out something in advance.

If Foles is released and becomes a free agent, then it’s on. You could come up with teams that could want Foles – the New York Giants, Jacksonville, Washington, Denver … That could be a problem. The Dolphins aren’t in great, salary-cap position to have it become a bidding war. Plus, Foles would probably rather have Saquon Barkley and Odell Beckham Jr., rather than what the Dolphins have for playmakers. But who knows what moves him?

Finally, paying Foles will need some work. The cap can be maneuvered. Let’s remember, a year ago, they were $19 million over the cap and with five moves at the start of the NFL’s new year in early March were $46 million under it. This year, they can create quick money by not offering DeVante Parker a fifth year ($9.3M) and releasing Robert Quinn ($12.9M) and Andre Branch ($7M). That’s a quick $29 million. The Dolphins also can designate Ryan Tannehill as a post-June 1 release (as they’ll probably do anyhow). That will make a $26 million salary-cap hit shrink to a $7.8 million in dead money. They’d save $18.7 million against the cap.

So there are issues to getting Foles. Maybe they’re insurmountable issues But nothing ventured, nothing gained. You get a guy who can win over for years over the prospect of an uncertain rookie. Even with Foles, their build-the-roster philosophy can work. It just gets a certain piece at the most important position.

Don’t Tank For Tua or Bomb For Fromme just yet.

Fight For Foles.

2. Next question: What if the Eagles decide to keep Foles and move on from Wentz? The hesitation in your thought tells why Foles is such a good answer. You’d need medical reports on Wentz’s back. If that’s not a problem, you definitely want Wentz. He’ll need a contract upgrade, but you have two years to do it. Of course you’d want him, depending on the cost. The bold move by Philadelphia would be to trade Wentz and get enough in return to draft your next quarterback.

3. Future Dolphins coach Brian Flores had a good game on Sunday as his defense held San Diego to seven, first-half points and won a not-as-close-as-it-looks, 41-28 playoff game. Here’s the problem, though: Did Flores do this or did Bill Belichick? And Detroit fans have to ask what most teams that hired Belichick disciples ask: They aren’t missing Matt Patricia, are they? One of the smart points of Belichick’s system is having groomed assistants ready to step in for anyone taking a job elsewhere. Flores, for example, has worked in New England since 2002. It’s the only team he has worked for. So he’s fully indoctrinated and intoxicated on The Patriot Way.

4. OK, so you want to know what the change in Dolphins philosophy would mean? Last season, they wouldn’t have signed 35-year-old running back Frank Gore for $1.1 million. They’d have kept fourth-year back Damien Williams, who signed with Kansas City for $1.7 million. Gore had a good season for the Dolphins until mid-December, when he became one of the silver-sneaker brigade on the team who got hurt (Josh Sitton, William Hayes, Daniel Kilgore …). Williams was a good special-teams player for the Dolphin and fill-in back. He took on a larger, back-up role for the Chiefs when Kareem Hunt was suspended in mid-season. On Sunday, he had 25 carries for 109 yards and five catches for 25 yards. It was the second time in three games Williams had 100 yards rushing (103 vs Seattle).

5. Quote of the day: “I know everyone thinks we suck, and you know, we can’t win any games. So we’ll see. It’ll be fun.” – Tom Brady to CBS after the game.

It’s always fascinating and occasionally humorous to see the kind of mind-bending fuel players need for motivation. Frankly, it’s staggering Brady has been so motivated for 17 years. But the Patriots have been in the AFC Championship Game for eight straight years. So who thinks they can’t win? And who thinks they can’t win in Kansas City?

6. Yes, the Dolphins search for relevance comes down to the Miami Miracle deciding the AFC Championship Game is in Foxborough and not Kansas City. That kept the Patriots from having homefield through the playoffs, as it worked. Hey, it’s something.

7. There were some tough guys on the NFL fields this weekend. None were tougher than Bob Kuechenberg was for the Dolphins over 14 years. And no story tells that better than the manner he played with a broken left arm, as I wrote in a column about Kuechenberg upon his death this weekend at 71. Here’s the short version of the story: He broke his arm in December of ‘73 and to play through the Super Bowl he had the bone marrow of the arm removed and a metal rod inserted. How many guys would do that? Better yet: Should any guy do that?

8. The Dolphins raided Buffalo for national scout Marvin Allen, who will be the Dolphins assistant GM to Chris Grier. That starts to answer one of my questions for this team. How could they keep everything and everyone running the draft the same — starting with Grier — when their drafts have been sub-par for the past 20 years? Maybe this is the start of some change. Grier and Allen overlapped in the Patriots organization in the 1990s.

9. Stat To Make You Sick I: The Patriots have 28 postseason wins since the Dolphins last, lone win in the 2000 season (a 23-17 overtime win against the Colts on a Lamar Smith run).

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10. Stat to Make You Sick II: The Patriots scored more playoff points on Sunday (41) than the Dolphins have in the past 18 seasons (24). That Dolphins total includes: (a) a 30-12 loss to Pittsburgh in the 2016 season; (b) A 27-9 loss to Baltimore in the 2008 season; and (c) a 20-3 loss to Baltimore in the 2001 season.